Of Temperance (prt. 1)

*Summary: A series of connected vignettes on how an OC meet’s the four chocobro’s. Warning, a lot of liberties were taken. 

The first meeting with the four had been forgettable, despite their near decapitation.

They had been sitting in the park, reading a book behind sunglasses, a hat carefully holding their hair in place from the light breeze. Though their attention wasn’t entirely on the book. All around them the sounds of others enjoying the day distracted them. They had a mental tally going; How many people were around them, how many people within a certain distance from them, how large and how small were also factors their brain registered, along with ages were all factors that added lines to their count.

They wished they could turn off their awareness, but it had been a long time since they had been able to. Which, at that moment was a good thing when they heard a sudden shout.

“Duck!”

Their eyes widened and without a moment’s pause they did as they were told, leaning forward over their book. They squished themself as flat against their lap as they could, just in case. They didn’t know why they were ducking after all. At the sound of something whistling over their head and hitting the back rest where they had just been, they winced. The offending object bounced off the back of the bench and to the ground by their feet and they huffed with slight amusement.

A Frisbee. Being as this was a park, it wasn’t a surprise. It was just that most people, when playing in public, were careful not to damage others in the park. A fact the thrower must have known, considering the embarrassed and worried gibbering they could hear approaching them. As they sat up and glanced toward the source, they could clearly see the mortification on the blonde’s face as he approached.

“I am so, so sorry!” He said as he reached them, leaning down to grab the toy before standing back up straight. “We were playing catch and I missed it because my friend threw it too high and- “

“It’s fine.” They said calmly, flashing a smile at him. “Don’t worry about it.”

He nodded but continued waving his hands about, trying to explain himself. He needn’t have bothered, but it was slightly endearing that he tried. Instead of interrupting him again, they decided to looked him over. A bit on the scrawnier side of things, and with hair almost too bright to stare at for a long period of time. Blue eyes, much too bright and a little startling to see. With freckles everywhere. He was very animated they noted, and his face moved along with his emotions. Which, if they were reading him right, he was still panicking. But he seemed comfortable in his panic, which probably meant he did it a lot. The fact he was so easy to read set them at ease. It wasn’t very often they met someone so expressive.

“Prompto! Let’s go,” called someone behind him.

They tilted their head to look behind him slightly to see who it was. Another boy around ‘Prompto’s’ age stood a few yards away, and two more further behind him. Probably waiting for the Frisbee. Another smile graced their face.

“You should get back to them.” They looked up and met Prompto’s gaze as best they could from behind the sunglasses. “It’s not nice to make your friends wait.”

Prompto looked behind to the black haired boy and then back to them. “I…I guess you’re right. Sorry again though!”

As he darted away, they laughed quietly to themself. They then placed their book in their sweater pocket and pulled out their phone to send a text off.

‘Please pick me up at the west end of the park. I’m done here.’ Almost as soon as they pressed send, the car they had called for pulled up. Their encounter with the blond was soon forgotten after that.

“Did you enjoy your time away from home?” Their driver asked as they pulled the door shut.

They nodded, “I did. It was a nice to be outside again.”

The driver began to pull away, “That’s good. Perhaps this venture could become a regular occurrence? I’m sure your mother would be pleased.”

They leaned back in their seat and buckled up, giving themself a moment to think.

“I…I think that could be done…” They replied quietly, a hint of unease leaking into their voice.

The driver only nodded and continued on his path to their home. It was quiet once they were fully in motion, both of them falling into a comfortable silence. He knew not to push them into anything, least they shut down again. He was just glad that they had agreed to go to the park more often. They had been somewhat of a recluse since they had moved back to their mother’s estate. And for good reasons.

“You can take off the sunglasses now that you’re in the car dear. No one else can see you.” He said, glancing in the rearview mirror.

They turned from the window, glancing into the mirror to look at the driver. “Oh…Right.”

They lifted their hands to their face and for a moment paused. Then, as if reaching a decision, they pulled the glasses off to reveal the mottled blotchiness of bruising around their right eye.

~

The second time they met, they made an even larger impression on.

A month had passed and they had fully healed from their injuries. And since they were living with their mother again, they were working for her once more as well. Their mother’s art academy was one of the best in Insomnia, and for good reasons. The first foremost reason being that their family specialized in art, and almost every member of their family was an artist in some way, shape, or form. Their art, like their mother’s, was dancing. And so they worked as a dancing tutor, limited to only a certain people, and only in one on one sessions.

Tomorrow, they’d get to meet their next student. From what they knew of him, he was someone around their age, needed to be taught from the basics up, and that they would be working together for almost half a year. It was nice to have someone so committed, but intimidating as well. Plus, if you really thought about it, learning all the dances they wanted to was nearly impossible in the time they had picked out. But…they thought of themself as a damn good tutor, and would do their best to make sure he learned what he wanted in that time.

It was then they reached their studio. After unlocking the door and turning on the light they surveyed the room, looking for anything that might be out of place. It was only when they were satisfied that the room was empty that they began to settle into the room and stretch. They stood tall and reached their arms up as far as they could go, and then they leaned forward, keeping their legs straight while they pressed their palms flat to the floor. They repeated this motion a few more times before moving into other stretches, and then finishing with a controlled exhale.

They then pressed play on the music, allowing the first few bars to wash over them. Right now, they were trying to visualize what they were going to do for the school’s exhibition. They had an idea, but had never moved through it before. And since it was their free day, they figured they’d give it a physical try out.

The melody washed over them, and they took a few steps forward, and knelt down. To the music, they inhaled exaggeratedly, and then their head dipped down. Then once more, as if the song dictated how they breathed. But it was as if something caught them, holding them in place, and in response they tilted their neck back, and their hands trailed up to caress their throat.

It was only then they launched into a more melodic movement. They fell sideways, onto their back, and from their rolled onto their feet. Their back arched and they let themself fall backwards into a back bridge, before going into a hand stand, and then back onto their feet. They had always believed that stories could be told by dancing. And as they moved they began to get a sense of what story they were telling.

They moved as if the music was made for them, and suddenly set into a gentle movement, going on pint and twirling across the floor with each step before settling into wide sweeping movements. Their body moved as if they were being held in an embrace, and their hands floated up as well, as if reaching for someone above them. The movement reminded them that they had been loved. It was just…not enough.

They had been called greedy for expecting more.

Suddenly the music paused, and they lowered their hands to their sides, their head bowed back to the ground. It was silent, as if being on the edge of a choice. Then the music swelled back to life. They spun around and then began to move with a bit more roughness. Large flowing movements, with power behind them. But they also moved through the air, lighter than they had allowed themself to be during the beginning and middle of the song. As if they were trying to get away. They made their jumps look effortless, a point of pride with them.

They had almost reached the conclusion of the song when there was suddenly a knock at the door.

That snapped them out of the zone they were in, and since they were mid-landing, they ended up going sprawling to the floor. For a few moments they were stunned. And in that time the door swung open, the music stopped playing, and rapid footsteps could be heard approaching. They huffed in embarrassment and rolled back over and onto their back to greet whoever it was.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

They looked up and were a little surprised to see a guy with green eyes peering down at them. They blinked once, still mildly dazed but waved their hand in front of themself. They barely managed to keep their face from turning red. Of course someone had to be around to see them take the worse fall they’d had in a while.

“It’s fine, I wasn’t aware I had an appointment today,” they stated as they sat up.

The guy’s hands gently rested on them, helping guide them back to their feet without being asked.

“Thank you,” they dusted off their backside as they continued, “So, introductions. I’m Alecto. But Alec is fine.”  

How long had he been at the door they wondered, coughing lightly before forcing themselves to look him in the eyes through their embarrassment. “How can I help you?”

He chuckled quietly, and said, “Well, my name is Ignis first off, and I’m afraid I may have disturbed you on a break. I just want to meet who’d be tutoring me before we actually started.”

“Ignis?” They tilted their head. That name did sound familiar… “Oh. Wait, you’re the new student I’m going to be working with tomorrow right?”

“That’d be me. I was told I could find you here by the receptionist. I hope you don’t mind me stopping in?” He asked.

At first they hesitated a little, thinking of the implications of the receptionist giving out her location on her days off to the wrong people. But then, they smiled and offered their hand to him for a handshake. “It’s no trouble at all, It’s always good to meet new students.”

“A pleasure as well. Are you all right? That did look like a nasty fall.” He asked.

They shrugged. “Dancing teaches you one thing that’ll stick with you forever.”

“Oh?”

They grinned, “How to fall gracefully.”  

“And dancing is just a side benefit I assume?” He added with a smirk.

They snorted, “Quick learner.”  

They both laughed quietly, and then Alec continued, “Anyhow, was there anything you wanted to discuss? I usually save this conversation until our first session, but it since you’re here perhaps we could work out scheduling details?”

He nodded, and returned their smile. “If that wouldn’t be a bother of course. I’m here to set up I, and three other’s lessons.”

“Three others? Who may I ask?” They tilted their head and began to walk toward their bag to get their schedule to keep it updated. “I’ll look and see if I have their general schedules planned out.”

“Their names are Prompto, Gladiolus, and Noctis.” He said, and they could have sworn that they could hear a hint of amusement in his voice, but brushed it off. And soon forgot about it when they realized the names he had said.

It clicked in their head then, and they ended up dropping their planner as they turned back to face him. “O-oh Holy Six you’re talking about the prince. And that makes y-you…”

Ignis Scientia. They knew that name sounded familiar. He came from one of the families sworn to the crown.  It came back to them then that their mother had informed them that the prince and his retainers would be taking lessons here for their first formal crown ball. But they’d had no idea that their mother trusted them enough to tutor people of such importance. They quickly gathered their thoughts and scooped their planner off the ground before rejoining him.

“Problem?” He raised his eyebrow at them, but there was a glimmer of amusement in his eye.

Cheeky bastard.

“None at all! It’s just…” They stumbled over their words, trying to figure out how to phrase what they wanted to say.

“Yes?” A tone of concern entered Ignis’ voice, “Something the matter.”

They shook their head and averted their gaze from him. “No. It’s just that…I think my mother would be better suited to tutoring you all. She must have made a mistake making you all my students.”

“Judging from what I saw earlier,” Ignis said quietly, “I think you’d do just fine.”

This time they could not keep their face from turning red. That just confirmed he had been at the door for longer than they had originally assumed. Their head whipped around to look at him and they stammered, “Y-you saw that?”

He nodded, not elaborating that he had been watching them from the beginning.  He then cleared his throat, “Now then, their schedules?”

“Oh, right!” They opened their planner and started reciting off days, and things returned to business as usual.

They spoke into the night, picking and choosing when each of the four would take their lessons from them. And if they were a little flattered that Ignis though they were good enough to teach a prince, they kept it to themself.